Blast in Gaza Damages Boat Meant for Protest

By Fares Akram

April 29, 2014

GAZA — An explosion before dawn on Tuesday partially sank a small boat that Palestinian and foreign activists were planning to use to challenge the Israeli-imposed naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Organizers of the protest said they suspected sabotage. The boat, Gaza’s Ark, an old fishing trawler refurbished as a cargo vessel, was docked in the Gaza harbor used by fishermen. In a statement, the organizers said a security guard received an anonymous phone call warning him to leave the boat shortly before the explosion. Palestinian fishing boats are permitted to sail up to six nautical miles from the coast under Israeli restrictions. The boat was scheduled to sail in June from Gaza to European ports carrying Palestinian goods for export. Attempts to breach the blockade have usually involved boats trying to sail to Gaza. In 2010, Israeli naval commandos killed nine activists during a raid at sea on a Turkish vessel after clashes broke out on board.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A11 of the New York edition with the headline: Gaza: Explosion Grounds Anti-Blockade Protest Boat. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe